FIRE

FIRE, 1996

Canada, India|DVD, Color, 104’ |English, Hindi
Cast: Shabana Azmi, Nandita Das, Karishma Jhalani

Fire, the first film of Deepa Mehta’s Elements Trilogy depicts the love story of two women who have been neglected by their husbands for two completely different reasons. Ashok who seeks to cleanse himself from all worldly pleasures, Radha, his wife for 15 years, Ashok’s brother Jatin, and Sita, his wife from a prearranged marriage are all living in the same house. Despite having accepted the prearranged marriage, Ashok still continues to see his Chinese lover Julie. Living under the same roof and often alone by themselves, Sita and Radha become friends who find solace in each other before their friendship turn into an intimate relationship. Fire is also celebrated as the first Indian film that critically approaches the subject of lesbianism.